Glen Scotia has revealed its limited-edition single malt release for the 2026 Campbeltown Malts Festival, a seven-year-old medium-peated whisky finished in ruby port casks. The expression is bottled at cask strength (53.9% ABV), is non-chill filtered, and will retail for £59.
The annual festival bottling was matured in first-fill bourbon barrels before undergoing a six-month finish in ruby port casks. The dual cask maturation delivers flavors of ripe red fruit, gentle sweet peat, and warming spice, carried on what the distillery describes as a rich, coastal undertone.
Ashley Smith, master blender at Glen Scotia, said: “This year’s Festival Release is a true celebration of Glen Scotia’s big Campbeltown character. It offers Glen Scotia’s distinctive maritime salinity, which is complemented with layers of gentle peat, and vibrant red fruit and warming spice brought by the ruby port cask finish. It’s a whisky that evolves on the palate and brings an element of surprise.”
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READ THE STORYThe release is available online and through specialist retailers globally. It is presented in a premium navy blue box featuring a QR code that unlocks a virtual on-pack experience, allowing consumers to meet members of the Glen Scotia distillery team.
Smith added: “With this year’s on-pack experience, we’re giving people a glimpse inside the distillery in our remote corner of Scotland and the people whose passion shapes every drop.”
Campbeltown, once known as the “Victorian whisky capital of the world,” is now Scotland’s smallest whisky-producing region. The Campbeltown Malts Festival draws thousands of visitors each year and remains a flagship event on Glen Scotia’s calendar.
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“Campbeltown may be small, but it has a big personality and a proud heritage,” Smith said. “This year’s festival bottling is our way of capturing that spirit in the glass for our community to enjoy.”
Festival events on May 19 and 20 will include several ticketed and free tastings. A “Big Campbeltown Character” workshop will explore the new Glen Scotia 12 Year Old with Loch Lomond Group master blender Michael Henry. Brand ambassador Gary Mills will lead a “Deconstructed Festival Release 2026” tasting, while Smith will host a “Port to Port” session tracing Campbeltown’s maritime past and its influence on cask selection.
Glen Scotia’s annual festival bottlings have built a strong reputation among collectors and enthusiasts. Further details are available at glenscotia.com.
